Central Georgia Affiliate of Komen and Houston Healthcare Partner in Breast Cancer Awareness

The Central Georgia Affiliate of Komen has provided funding to Houston Healthcare to increase awareness of breast cancer and to provide services for women who are uninsured and lower income to receive a mammogram.

The field of medicine has made great strides in treating breast cancer if detected early. Women who have annual mammograms usually will detect cancer early. However, a large percentage of women, especially lower socioeconomic levels, are not getting their mammograms because of a lack of knowledge of the importance of mammograms, or barriers such as no funding for a mammogram or an inability to navigate the health care system. The partnership between Houston Healthcare and Komen is providing education, mammograms as well as improving access to services through a Nurse Navigator.

The 2011 Komen Community Profile provides excellent information on breast health needs in Central Georgia. The profile compares eight central Georgia Counties. Houston, Peach and Twiggs were noted to be below the state rates for obtaining mammograms at 61% which means 39% of women are not following the recommended guidelines.

The barriers identified in the 2011 Profile confirm the challenges identified by Houston Healthcare which include, (1) a lack of education on the need for breast health services, (2) a lack of finances to pay for a mammogram, (3) a lack of ability to navigate the healthcare system, and (4) apprehension over having a mammogram and what the screening may reveal. All of this leads to decreased access to appropriate care. HRSA in the Women’s Health USA 2010 shares “Cancer survival rates vary depending on how early the cancer is discovered”. This once again demonstrates the importance of mammograms.

Recently, Houston Healthcare hosted the Pink Picnic to raise awareness of breast cancer and the need for regular screenings. This annual event included a fashion show with breast cancer survivors as models. The luncheon speaker was Martha Lanier, author of Pink Lemonade, and a breast cancer survivor. The Pink Picnic also included educational tables from the American Cancer Society, The Central Georgia Affiliate of Komen, Houston Healthcare, Community Health Works- Central Georgia Cancer Coalition, and Central Georgia Technical College. The event brings together a broad variety of women of all ages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds for the purpose of educating women on breast cancer.

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